


The Psychologist

by Ivy_StClaire



Category: The Good Doctor (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Heartbreak, Hospitals, Love, Romance, San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital, St. Bonaventure
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-21
Updated: 2017-11-28
Packaged: 2019-02-12 04:21:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12951180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ivy_StClaire/pseuds/Ivy_StClaire
Summary: Looking back now, Sophia still couldn't help but be thankful at her own stubbornness, for it was what had gotten her her happy ending.





	1. 01 | nick.

⚕

Sophia Fray instantly felt overwhelmed once she arrived at the hospital. Involuntarily, she took a step back as the loud bustling of nurses, shrieks of the patients and barked orders from the attending doctors assaulted her ears, registering in her mind. 

Her eyes closed shut, her hand coming up to massage her left temple as she willed the pain to go away, weakly attempting to block out all of the noise. She wasn't sure how she got away from the lobby, but somehow she ended up in the nurse lounge.

They all looked up when she stumbled inside the room. Hannah, a kind girl around her age that she had met just yesterday, was the first to reach her and helped her lower herself on one of the loveseats.

"Hey, hey, Sophia," she rubbed her shoulder. "It's okay, hun. What happened?"

The pediatric resident exhaled soundly. "Nothing. Nothing happened. Everything's okay. Just... I didn't sleep well last night and didn't have the time to eat this morning", she lied through her teeth, hating that Hannah's eyes narrowed suspiciously at her.

As much as she thought Hannah nice enough, she had yet to earn her trust and Sophia wasn't that easy to make friends with, given her troubled past. Besides, most of them left after learning her true nature, which was absolutely terrible, and solidified her trust issues.

Truth was  -  and she wouldn't tell Hannah  -  that she had a suffered a panic attack just the night before when visiting a friend's house. It had been a party and Sophia had felt comfortable enough to enjoy herself. But as it turns out, it had been an awful idea. The living room was crowded so had tried to weave her way through all the dancing drunken people, but suddenly a hand had caught her wrist, tugging her backwards with a strong grip. 

Sophia's mind was still a bit fuzzy, but she remembered screaming in panic just as she started flailing about, wanting the hand to stop touching her skin. The house guests had noticed something was wrong when Halley, the host, had ordered them all to leave. Sophia didn't recall much after that, only knowing that Halley had most probably driven her home and tucked her into bed.

However, Sophia was ashamed to admit that she suffered from these attacks rather often and didn't want Hannah to think badly of her. So she gave the nurse a fake, bright smile that she hoped was convincing enough, and stood up.

"I've got to go", she announced loudly, so the whole room could hear. Sophia still had a few minutes to spare, but she had only started working at the hospital yesterday and had yet to get used to it.

She bolted out of the nurse lounge but abruptly stopped in her tracks after turning a corner, her ears catching the sound of light footsteps jogging after her. Hannah stared disapprovingly at Sophia once she turned around to face her.

"Look, I know we don't know each other very well," Hannah started in a calm voice, "But I'd like to be your friend, and you're one of the nicest doctors I've seen in this hospital. Believe, there aren't that many that actually want to have a civil conversation with a nurse, especially a newbie like me."

"You clearly lied back there, but I don't want to pressure you into telling me the truth. Something is something you earn, not demand. So I'll just leave you with the knowledge that doctors here have free sessions with the psychologists," she raised her eyebrows pointedly at Sophia, "Sixth floor, there's a main office."

With that, the nurse left her standing alone in the corridor. Sophia stared at her back, contemplating her words, and then glanced at her watch. Her eyes widened at the time and she started jogging to the elevators, hoping not to be late and to get the floor right.

⚕

Despite what everyone might think of her, Sophia prided herself in how far she'd come. At the age of twenty-six, she had finished her schooling and was now employed at San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital, one of the most prestigious hospitals in the area. She wasn't exactly a full resident, but give it three years or so and she might be. 

"Miss Fray?" a voice called out to her. 

"Um, good morning," Sophia said uncertainly to the friendly looking older lady, not sure if she had the time to chat. 

The woman had a youthful face, but the graying hairs told a different story. Sophia figured she was pushing her sixties. Her eyes were emerald green and twinkled with warmth, causing Sophia to feel slightly at easy in her presence, and her hair was pulled back in a neat, tight bun. 

"My name is Jacqueline Llewin, but you can call me Jackie. You were placed in my pediatric team for the during of your residency", the woman told her with a smile. "I'm happy you're here on time, shows motivation."

"Thank you, ma'am."

Jackie nodded curtly, smile still in place. "Come then, I've put the other residents in different rooms so you can all get acquainted at once while I deal with a few pushy parents."

Sophia dutifully followed the older lady away from the elevators, looking around in interest at all the people around her. It was much calmer in the first floor than in the hospital lobby. There was noise yes, but no aggressive sounds. Just melodic child laughter and the calm whispers of family members. She decided she liked her new environment. 

Her attention snapped back to focus as she entered what looked like the first floor's pediatric main office. Jackie left her to sit on a sofa while she went to fetch the other residents. Sophia took a deep breath, steeling herself for the first day. 

Jackie quickly returned with other three people in tow. Sophia gave them an once-over. The first resident was a woman, probably Latina from the looks of it. Her skin was beautifully sun-kissed and her black her flowing down her shoulders, dark chocolate brown eyes inspected her curiously.

The other two were males. The first one was at leach five inches taller than the other, and smiled rather flirtatiously at her. His skin was tanned but not as much as the girl's, his hair was brushed into a light brown quiff and his eyes were blue and kind. 

The last resident was a bit shorter than the average guy, and also looked more like a sixteen year old rather than a guy in his mid twenties. His hair was dirty blonde and unruly, his face slightly round and his eyes a soft shade of grey.

"Okay, let's start," Jackie looked so excited Sophia had to smile. "This is Doctor Avalyn Swan, she will be specializing in Neonatology, and is mostly going to be at the NICU's, but she's a part of the team regardless."

"Doctor Daniel Reyes, specializing in Child Abuse Pediatrics", she continued, introducing the man who had earlier winked at Sophia. "Doctor Brandon Schnur, he will be specializing mostly in Child Psychiatry, but that doesn't mean he won't do any operations needed."

"Finally, Doctor Sophia Fray. Like I did when I was your age, she will be specializing in Palliative Care. I later changed to Pediatric Surgery, but those were some of the best moments of my life. Even though it's painful to know a child will pass away so soon, you can try to do your best to make their last moments more comfortable," Jackie shot her an approving smile and clapped her hands. "Any questions?"

Sophia ran a hand through her hair, watching the other three under long eyelashes. Avalyn looked determined, and despite his initial flirtation, Daniel was completely focused on Jackie's words rather than Sophia's presence. Brandon just looked nervous, much like her.

"Then we may start. I won't let you do any operations for the first two weeks, but you will be assigned to patients to take care of them and their needs. Your job is to also make the experience not as painful for the parents and to do the best you can to reduce the pain."

⚕

After giving each of them a clipboard with strict instructions to write down every little detail, even if it seemed insignificant, Jackie sent them off to different areas of the first floor. Sophia found herself wandering in the east wing, smiling at the small faces looking at her with curiosity.

Her mind was still replaying Hannah's words. Perhaps she should seek out a psychologist to help her move on from her current state of mind. Sophia couldn't remain broken forever. She wouldn't allow herself to be a depressed woman until her last breath.

Her rounds passed by quickly, and she found herself enjoying the little smiles the children sent her way, the gibberish the toddlers would tell her and the small words of encouragement from the older kids when they learned she was a new pediatric.

Overall, it was a pretty good experience for her first day. Sophia returned to the main office and waited until Daniel finished his talk with Jackie before presenting her report. While her boss scanned the written words, Sophia silently tapped her foot on the wooden floor as her eyes darted to the clock. 

"Amazing, Dr. Fray", Jackie concluded, as she put down the clipboard next to the others. "I'll see to it to have a conversation with Mr. Thomas's parents myself about their son's condition." 

"Okay," Sophia nodded distractedly, her eyes fixed on the clock.

"Are you okay?" Jacqueline inquired with a note of concern in her eyes. Sophia bit her lip, pondering her options. "Anything on your mind?"

"Um... actually, there is," Sophia started, unsure. At Jackie's silent prompting, she continued. "Does the hospital have, like, private psychologists or something?" she prayed that Jackie wouldn't ask further questions.

Instead of judging her like she was expecting, Jacqueline's face softened into one of realization and she nodded with a small smile.

"Yes, in the sixth floor. We've still got time. Would you like me to show you around?"

"Please," Sophia returned the smile, the tension relaxing as only warmth filled Jackie's eyes.

⚕

Her boss waited patiently in the main office while Sophia headed into her personal locker to get her belongings and leave the long white coat in its rightful place. She rummaged through her purse, making sure everything was there, and quickly fixed her hair, feeling it slightly out of place.

Jacqueline led her back to the elevators and they stepped inside once it arrived at their floor. Silence settled between them as their ride took them to the sixth floor, and Sophia followed the older woman, weaving through bustling nurses and people wearing surgeon scrubs.

They reached a quieter part of the floor, where the staff lounge and Heads' offices were. Sophia noted it had the same layout as the pediatric ward. Two medium sized staff room with TVs and coffee machines, an office for each team head (they had six heads instead of three like the pediatrics) and even bigger ones for the Head of the Surgery Department and the Head of the Psychology Department.

Jackie made a detour around a corner and they stopped in front of an office with glass windows. Sophia could see two men inside. Her boss gently tapped on the door and opened it, beckoning for Sophia to follow. 

"Good day, gentlemen," Jacqueline greeted joyously as the men turned to look at them. "This is my newest team member, Dr. Sophia Fray and..."

Sophia involuntarily tuned her out as her light blue eyes met a pair of dark chocolate ones. They belonged to the most handsome of the two males. His face was stoic, set straight but it only served to accentuate how sharp his jawline was. Her breath hitched quietly when he tilted his head, ever so slightly.

It caused her to snap back into focus, just in time to hear Jackie's finishing words.

"He's one of our best psychologists, even if his methods are a little... disconcerting," the pediatric laughed with an odd look in her eyes, which Sophia took as a sign she had missed some sort of internal joke. "Feel free to drop by his office, he'll be able to help you."

The second man smiled at her. It was only then Sophia realized she hadn't given him any thought. Her attention was active enough to remember he had a gentle smile, envious hair and kind eyes before her mind backtracked. 

_Wait! He's my psychologist?!_  she stared at the handsome stoic man. She knew she hadn't been paying attention, but it was the obvious conclusion. If Jackie brought her to this office to introduce him to her, then he was clearly a psychologist. 

"I'll take my leave then," the other guy told her, somewhat awkwardly. "It was nice to meet you, Dr. Fray."

"You too... uh," however, the man was already out of the door by the time Sophia's cheeks flamed in embarrassment, aware she had been so distracted she hadn't even gotten his name. Nor this man's either.

"You can go home now, Sophia. Get some rest," Jackie said with a smile and waved goodbye.

"His name is Edward McCann," Hot Stuff commented casually as he moved to sit on the edge of his desk, arms folded across his chest as he leaned back. "His friends call him Eddie."

Sophia furrowed her eyebrows at him.

"You were distracted," he pointed out with a knowing smirk. "Didn't even got our names, am I right?"

She huffed in annoyance. "Well, what's  _your_  name?"

"Call me..." he dragged out with the teasing smirk glued to his lips. "Nick."

"Nick?"

'Nick' nodded almost innocently. "As in Nicholas. I prefer Nick though, more badass," he had leaned forward as he said it, whispering the last two words in a dramatic way.

Sophia snorted as he wiggled his eyebrows. "Sure, whatever you say Nick. You already know my name's Sophia, so I'm not going to introduce myself. I'll come by tomorrow?"

She didn't give him time to reply, however, quickly turning on her heel to exit the office. Sophia could've sworn she heard his voice call after her, but if even if he did, it was drowned out by all the astir voices.

As she sat on the bus, she allowed herself to space in her mind and stare blankly out the window. Sophia thought back to Nick. At first, he showed no emotion whatsoever, looking almost robotic with eyes void of sentiment. But then, as soon as he told her he knew she had been distraught, his eyes had lit up with mirth and mischief, almost like a little boy's. If she didn't know any better, she would think he was bipolar.

_'His methods are a little... disconcerting'_ , Jacqueline had said. If she had been referring to Nick, then she wasn't lying at all. Sophia felt confused. Not knowing if she wanted to laugh because that little wiggle of his brows was so funny, or if she wanted to be upset, because it was clear he was hiding something from her. She had always been good at identifying that kind of situation.

She finally decided to wait for the next day, and see what would come out of it.

_'Nick'_.


	2. 02 | new patient.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sophia learns ‘Nick’’s true name and tells him a bit about the reason why she’s at the hospital. As she prepares to leave, she eavesdrops on a conversation between Melendez and his fiancée.

⚕

"Really?" Sophia scoffed disbelievingly. "Nick? Not much creative where you?"

"Can I help you, Dr. Fray?" he folded his arms.

"Yes, you can. Dr. Neil Melendez," she stared defiantly back at him. "Why lie? What benefit did it bring you from lying about your name? What? Don't tell me you hate Neil? I happen to think it's actually a pretty sophisticated name that-"

The surgeon rolled his eyes as she rambled on and on about all the reasons she loved his first name. Neil tuned her out and focused on his work again. After about five minutes, he put down his pen at the sound of silence.

"Finally."

"You're not very good at your career choice, Mr. Psychologist," Sophia remarked with cheekiness. "You do know you are required to listen to your patients and advise them depending on their problems."

Neil was going to correct her. Tell her he wasn't a psychologist, but the hospital's golden surgeon, but something stopped him. He smirked at the woman standing before him.

"What problems? All I hear is you complaining about me not giving you my real name."

"You're seriously turning this on me? What kind of person gives a fake name to another?"

"Have you thought about the possibility I didn't want you to know it?" Neil replied smoothly, leaning back against his chair. "I have too many patients today, Dr. Fray. So, if you may," he gestured towards the open door.

"Well, too bad, Dr. Melendez," Sophia sat on one of the visitors' chairs. "As of right now, I'm a patient of yours as well. And it is your duty to listen to me and advise me."

Neil raised an unimpressed eyebrow at her and shrugged, picking up his pen. He ignored Sophia as he started to work on all the paperwork sitting on his desk. However, the silence didn't last long because the newbie started talking again.

"I've had a hard time adapting," she said in a barely audible voice. Neil paused for a moment, which seemed to prompt her to continue. "You know, I was born and raised in a small urban area in Pennsylvania. It's quieter there. I'm not used to the bustling of big cities."

"My family was always a bit traditional. My father was too overprotective of me. He thought I was too fragile and could easily be broken, so he hid me away. Very few people were aware my parents had a daughter, because I was homeschooled and rarely went outside."

"Never had a friend, nor a boyfriend for that matter. My mother was okay, she gave me more freedom, but she was set that I was to become some sort of lady. My brother was the best, he sometimes took me out and introduced me to his friends. It was nice getting out of the house."

By then, Neil had completely forgotten he should be signing the paperwork and was listening attentively to her story. Sophia's voice was a tone higher and bitter, she clearly resented her childhood and had never told this story to anyone before.

For a brief moment, Neil felt guilty for pretending to be a psychologist, but then shook that guilt away. It wasn't his fault the woman couldn't take any hints and leave him alone. He wasn't entirely sure why he hadn't told her he was a surgeon.

"Am I assuming you crossed the country to escape from your parents?" Neil asked, rather interested, as Sophia blushed under his gaze.

"Yes. I was eighteen when I ran away with my brother's help. We somehow managed to get to Richmond without being caught. Andrew, my brother, had a band so they followed us. From then on, they started going around the States, playing gigs in bars and small concerts. I went with them, studying medicine in various places. By the time I celebrated my twenty-fifth birthday, I had many different methods of the art."

"Where is your brother now?"

"In Palo Alto. He met this girl a few months ago, and her father is a renowned talent manager and they're helping him go big. I decided to come here. For the first time in forever, I'm depending on my own person. And truthfully, it's scary."

Neil nodded sympathetically, studying the hurt in her eyes. Involuntarily, he shot his hand forwards and laced their fingers together, caressing the back of her hand with his thumb. Sophia seemed to be as taken aback with his action as he was, but she didn't push his hand away.

"At first, it's hard," he found himself saying. "But you'll get used to it."

"Yeah. San Jose isn't that bad," Sophia smiled in agreement. Mentally, Neil applauded himself for making her happy. "And the people here at the hospital aren't that bad either. Jackie is amazing, but I'm not so sure about Dr. Glassman."

"Why?" Neil pulled his hand away, instantly missing the warmth.

"Well, before I came here, I bumped into a newbie surgeon, Shaun I think his name was, and we both fell. Dr. Glassman popped in and scolded me, telling me I should be watching where I was going. I swear it was Shaun that was looking down!"

The surgeon snorted and shook his head. "Dr. Murphy is Dr. Glassman's protege. He's autistic, so the president probably thought you bumped into him on purpose, just because of his condition."

"Um, is he a fool?!" Sophia fumed angrily. "He thinks I'm prejudiced or something? I've nothing against autistic people or handicap people in general. He wasn't looking where he was going and  _I_  took the blame?! Humph."

Neil hid a grin and cleared his throat, shifting his gaze down to his work. "Would you mind leaving now, Dr. Fray? I've got other duties to attend to, and I'm sure Dr. Llewin won't be happy if you're late."

Sophia nodded and rose from her seat. Neil watched her head to the door, thinking back to the things she told him that morning. Maybe he wasn't a psychologist, and maybe he wasn't supposed to be hearing things about her life that he shouldn't, but he decided Sophia would need a friend within the hospital and he was at least one of the good guys.

Just before she left his office, Sophia pivoted to face him.

"Thank you, Nick," she smirked cynically at him and left with a wave of her fingers. Neil struggled to breathe, wanting to laugh out loud at her cockiness.

⚕

The rest of the day passed uneventfully for Sophia. She had arrived right on time and been paired with Avalyn to survey the sicker children. They had gotten to know each other, and by the end of their rounds, both had agreed to go out for a coffee someday.

Sophia felt happier after that and didn't even mind when Jacqueline put her on suction for a small surgery. She had had the opportunity to watch her boss work and had loved learning her methods, which proved to be similar to hers.

Since everyone in the team was specializing in different areas, Jackie had given them assignments according to those. Even though it tugged at her heartstrings knowing that the children had terminal cancer, Sophia loved doing what she could to make them comfortable.

Her career choice had been inspired by her younger sister, whom she had not told Neil about. Lucy had been three years younger than Sophia and the two had been as close as twins. However, she had been diagnosed with cancer at the age of six, and it was, unfortunately, terminal. Sophia had spent her sister's last four months making sure she didn't feel alone and that she would die knowing someone loved her.

It was what she aspired to do with these kids. To make sure they knew someone loved them. Be it their parents, siblings, cousins or their doctor. Someone loved them, and they would be sure to know it before passing away.

It was nearing five o'clock when Jackie sent them all home. Sophia was getting ready to leave when she heard Neil's voice. She quickly hid behind a pillar, just in time to see him leaving the staff room with a tall blonde.

"-shouldn't do that to her," the blonde was saying in a stern tone.

"It's obvious she needs someone to talk to. What's the problem in that someone being me?" Neil answered in a defensive tone, and Sophia immediately understood they were talking about her, so her ears perked up.

"You know I hate seeing you so close with other women, Neil," the blonde whined with a frown etched across her features. They stopped in front of the pillar Sophia was hiding behind.

"Jessica," Melendez sounded exasperated and annoyed. "I've only got eyes for you, my love. No need to worry about me looking at other women. Don't you trust me? Do you really think I go around cheating on you?" his voice was strained, but Sophia had the feeling it wasn't the first time he said those words.

"I- you're right," Jessica conceded in a defeated tone. "You're right, Neil. I'm sorry, I do trust you. But it's hard for me. I just - no, forget it."

"If I buy you flowers tomorrow, will you drop it?" they resumed their walking as Neil wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Roses. Yellow," Jessica said in a demanding voice. "I'm so lucky to be your fiancée."

Sophia's eyes widened. The guy was getting married to this obnoxious blonde? She couldn't help but think that he could to better. Watching them leave the hospital, Sophia didn't believe they made that much of a good couple.

 _It's not my problem_ , she mused.  _Let him marry whoever he wants_.

She dusted off her clothes and moved from behind the pillar with her head held high in case someone had seen her. It wouldn't do her any good someone seeing her spying on staff members. 


	3. 03 | relationships

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sophia tells Neil about her ex-boyfriend, revealing a shocking secret of her past that she would rather forget.

⚕

Sophia weaved her way through the bustling nurses and hospital staff. For some reason or other, the hallways had been filled with cries and shouts of hundreds of patients since early that morning. It got on her nerves since she disliked big, noisy crowds.

She finally reached the elevators and repeatedly pushed the button. She couldn't wait to get out of the first floor. When the doors slid open, she slipped inside and glued herself to the corner, groaning internally at the amount of people in front of her.

"Morning Sophia." A quiet voice said next to her. 

Sophia smiled kindly. "Morning Brandon, how are you?"

"Fine." He replied nervously. "Kind of. I'm not really comfortable with all these people coming and going. I'm getting a headache."

"You're not the only one Bran." She patted his shoulder sympathetically. "Where do you need to go?"

"Sixth floor. I'm meeting with a specialized psychiatrist of the main office. There this little girl, Kylie, who refuses to speak to any of the assigned psychiatrists, so they called me in. I've heard Dr. Lynch has diverse techniques in the area and I hope to learn some of them before talking to Kylie." He explained in an almost dreamy voice. It was clear that he admired this Dr. Lynch.

"I'm going there too." Sophia leaned against the wall. "There's this psychologist that I've been seeing since two weeks ago and he's been helping me."

Brandon regarded her with a friendly smile. "I hope everything works out."

"Thanks." She returned the smile, and looked up when the elevator reached the sixth floor. "See you later Brandon." She waved.

Sophia followed the familiar path to Neil Melendez's office. While what she had said to Brandon wasn't a lie, it wasn't completely true either. For the last two weeks, she had only visited Melendez five times. The man mostly listened and gave his input whenever he deemed necessary, but Sophia wasn't dumb. He wasn't a psychologist at all.

However, she let the lie slide. Despite the fact he was not certified, Melendez  _had_  been helping her whenever they had "sessions". She'd been comfortable enough to share the event that led to her panic attack on her first day at the hospital, but didn't tell him the full truth behind the reason why. 

Sophia had also shared a few positive childhood memories of hanging out with her brother and his band, and detailed the bullying of the negative ones. Her classmates' mean words still haunted her to this day, but Melendez's soft words of encouragement had helped a tiny bit.

He was writing reports when she knocked on the open door.

"Close the door behind you, Sophia." He said absentmindedly, not looking up from the papers. It warmed her heart to know he was aware of her presence even though she wasn't a regular visitor to his office.

She obediently shut the door and sat down on the leather couch placed strategically far from the window. After ten minutes or so, Neil got up and put away his pen, glancing at Sophia with an apologetic smile. 

"How have you been? I haven't seen you since Wednesday." He commented as he lowered himself onto the seat next to her. Sophia scooted over to give him space.

"Fine." She replied curtly.

Neil nodded, and stared at her, waiting for her to go on. 

"Two weeks ago." Sophia started, recalling his exchange with the attorney. "I saw you with a blonde woman. Your fiancée."

She wasn't expecting him to become flustered at her observation. His eyes widened comically and his cheeks quickly turned tomato red. Sophia raised a questioning eyebrow as Neil instantly regained his composure. The tint on his cheeks still remained, though.

"Uh." He scratched the back of his neck. "I - yeah. That - that was Jessica. My, uh, fiancée. You - you saw us?"

"Leaving the hospital, yes." Sophia confirmed. "She's jealous?"

"Yes." He answered honestly. "Jessica always gets jealous when I talk to other women that are not her. Don't read too much into it. It's pretty stupid."

"It's not stupid if she loves you. It means she cares." She retorted with a frown.

Neil looked away. "Look, Jessica and I - it's complicated. We've been together for almost three years now, and I know her like the back of my hand. She doesn't get jealous because she cares. She gets jealous because she thinks she owes me, and she doesn't like other people going after what is hers. I hate that."

Sophia stared at him silently, and then nodded, letting the issue drop. He ran his hand through his hair and let out a quiet sigh.

"It happened two weeks ago. Why are you bringing this up now?"

"I want to share something." Sophia announced, fiddling with her thumbs.

She felt Neil's hand coming to rest on her knee. Over the past five sessions they had, Sophia had come to learn that it was his way of prompting her to continue and give her comfort at the same time. She appreciated the effort of the clearly non-psychologist.

"It happened around five years ago." Sophia started. "I was nineteen, and I had been secretly dating this boy. His name was Tyler. We were together for thirteen months before it happened."

"Before what happened?" Neil scooted closer to her, his voice barely above a whisper.

"The baby." She winced when her voice broke. "We - I had no idea what to do. I didn't want to go to my parents, because they would kill me. So I went to my brother. He told me Tyler was a good guy and that he would stick with me because he loved me. It was the right thing to do."

"He threatened me. Said if I didn't get an abortion, he would dump me. Everyone would hate me again, even after they had started loving me because I was his girlfriend. I was forced to abort a baby. I didn't want to. It was a mistake. But it would grow to be my flesh and blood. I was scared to be the pariah again. So I gave up my child."

She felt Neil's arms wrap around her thin frame, and she rested her head on his broad chest, her cheeks stained with hot, salty tears. His thumb wiped them away. 

"Sophia, look at me." He tilted her chin up. "From what you've told me, you went through some rough patches. I understand why you did what you did. Tyler was a jerk who shouldn't have done that to you."

She nodded. "I - I dumped his ass after I left the hospital." Sophia gave him a faint smile when Neil chuckled at her choice of wording. 

"Good, that's good." He said with a hint of pride. "Believe it or not, the abortion made you stronger. You are who you are now because of it. And what I see in front of me is a beautiful, strong woman who shouldn't care about what others think, because she's perfect just the way she is."

Sophia beamed up at him. No one but her brother had ever given her such a caring, loving speech. And she could hear the sincerity and honesty behind his words. Neil wasn't lying to her, and it made her feel happier than she had ever felt.

He settled down on the couch and pulled her with him. 

"Do you think about having children?" She questioned curiously as he started carding his fingers through her blonde locks. 

Neil pondered for a bit before answering. "I've never given it much thought. Jessica wants, though. Either biological or adopted."

"Are you against adopting kids?" 

Neil shook his head. "I'm not against adopting kids in general. I'm against adopting kids with Jessica. Or even having kids with her at all."

"Why?"

"If I ever have children, I want them to be with the person I fell in love with. I would prefer them to be biological, so there would be little us running around. But if my soulmate weren't capable of having kids, I would be happy adopting."

That caused Sophia's ears to perk up, and she shifted so her head was resting on his lap and their eyes were locked.

"You're not in love with Jessica, then?"

"Like I said earlier, Jessica and I are complicated. Our relationship was convenient in the early days, but now, I feel like it's some sort of nuisance."

"What's the difference between Jessica and your ideal woman?" Sophia smiled teasingly.

"Well, for starters, Jessica is way too controlling." Neil mulled over her question. "My ideal woman would be someone kind, sweet, selfless. I've always pictured a wife good with kids, someone who's special enough to capture people's attention, like moths drawn to flames."

Sophia couldn't help but smile at the carefree look that had taken over his face.

"Someone with whom I could be completely comfortable with, and share all my secrets. Knowing I wouldn't be judged. It's stupid since I'm with Jessica, and we're getting married in a few months, but, it's the truth."

"Then don't marry Jessica!" Sophia shot forwards and sat upright. "You don't love her, tell her that and say you're sorry. Then move on and go find the woman of your dreams."

Neil smiled sadly. "I couldn't bear to leave this job. What if the woman of my dreams isn't in San Jose?"

"It's best to be alone than to be with someone who only brings you misery." Sophia quoted wisely, squeezing his arm in comfort.

"Who said that?"

"My brother told me that when I broke up with Tyler. He's always been my biggest supporter and was utterly mad when he found out what Tyler forced me to do. Sometimes, just sometimes, he can be pretty smart."

Neil laughed with her, and then smiled softly. "Thank you, Sophia."

"No worries. I may start to come daily."

"Please do." His eyes were hopeful.

Sophia smiled and leaned down, kissing his cheek. 

⚕

What both of them failed to notice, was the pair hiding in the shadows. Jessica fumed with anger at seeing Sophia on her fiance's lap. From where she was standing, she believed they were making out on the couch. 

Marcus Andrews tugged her away from his subordinate's office. He sighed, utterly bored, as Jessica started ranting on and on about how the newest pediatric was a little man-stealing skank that deserved to be punished. 

He rolled his eyes but looked back at the office, seeing Neil and Sophia flustered as they laughed about something one of them had said. He couldn't help but muse that the surgeon was looking more relaxed than he had ever seen him. Needless to say, Neil was never that comfortable around Jessica, even in their own home.

"She's gonna pay." He heard Jessica mutter darkly under her breath.

"I'm sure she will, now go on. Go home. Or do whatever you want to do but stay away." Marcus commanded in a firm tone as he pushed her inside the open elevator. 

Jessica began to protest, but the doors were already sliding close.

Marcus let out a relieved sigh when she was out of sight.

"I'm going to push that goddamn annoying woman off a bridge if she keeps interrupting my business meetings because of jealousy crisis like that again."


	4. 04 | her ex.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During a night out, Sophia meets Tyler once again and he gets into a fight.

⚕   

Jacqueline Llewin sat in her office, filling the enormous amount of paperwork that had accumulated in her desk over the past few months she was gone. She was now regretting her decision of taking a temporary leave, as it only meant bigger headaches with paperwork.

A knock sounded in the otherwise silent room and she called out to the person behind the door. Aaron Glassman walked in, smiling slightly at her frustration over the forms crowding her mahogany desk.

"Hello, Aaron. What can I do for you?" Jacqueline put down her pen and gestured towards a plush chair, allowing him to sit down.

"How is your new team treating you?" Aaron asked as he adjusted the lapels of his suit jacket. Jackie smiled at the thought of her new interns.

"They are brilliant. Thank you for giving me such a well versed team."

"You're welcome," the hospital president nodded at the praise. "Have you been fitting in well following your return?"

"I have, yes. However, I seem to have forgotten how annoying paperwork is," Jackie deadpanned, glaring at the stack of papers.

Aaron laughed good-heartedly and shifted in his seat.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," she nodded curiously.

"Sophia Fray."

Jackie leaned back against her seat. "What exactly do you want to know?"

"Start with the basics, if you please," Aaron steepled his fingers as he crossed one leg over the other, watching her intently.

"Twenty-seven years old. Specializing in Palliative Care. From the reports I've read, she was a popular student in high school with perfect grades. Her brother is living in Palo Alto, he is the lead singer of a band that's quickly rising in fame."

"I see," Aaron nodded as she continued to describe the blonde doctor. "She's been up in the sixth floor a lot. Any ideas why?"

"Yes. In her first day, Sophia asked me if I could direct her to a psychologist. I took her to see Dr. McCann. Sophia is in perfect state of mind, Aaron, it just so happens she had a few tough moments during her childhood that she needs to confide to someone."

He raised an eyebrow. "And are you sure she got the memo?"

"How so?"

"I haven't seen her in Dr. McCann's office," he leaned forwards, unblinking. "I've seen her in Dr. Melendez's office."

"Well, I took her there because Edward was speaking with Neil about something or other. Maybe she wasn't sure where his office was and went to ask Neil."

Aaron chuckled. "No, Jackie. For a month now, I've seen Sophia in Neil's office. I haven't once seen her with Edward. Are you sure you introduced her to the right psychologist?" he asked with an amused glint in his eyes.

She scrunched her eyebrows together, watching him through narrowed eyes.

"We both know how Neil is, Aaron. So if he hasn't thrown her out, it means that he doesn't mind her visiting him once in a while."

"I'm rather pleasant with how things turned out. I also read the reports on Miss Fray, and have been digging around. A real psychologist would have been a terrible choice. At least, Neil can act as a friend and be more reliable to her."

"He does need a friend. And so does she," Jackie nodded, catching his drift. "But what about Jessica?"

"She has been bugging me non-stop," Aaron revealed with a roll of his eyes. "Honestly, the woman thinks she has the power to fire people without my approval just because her grandfather founded the hospital."

"Jessica has always been a bit radical," the pediatric laughed at his annoyance. "I still wonder how Neil has managed to put up with her all this time."

"Truthfully, it was only to protect her position at the hospital and from the State. If things go as I plan, I will have no use for Jessica for Neil has fallen in love with someone else. She is just a pain in my side as of right now."

"You can't be serious, Aaron," Jacqueline felt exasperated by his antics. "Are you truly going to meddle with Neil and Sophia's love lives just so you can get what you want?"

"I'm not going to meddle," he retorted defensively. "You only say that because you have yet to see those two together. Give it time, my dear Jackie, and you'll the sexual tension build up. You'll see them fall head over heels for each other."

She simply shook her head. 

Sometimes, Aaron Glassman could be a bit too much. But she had grown to love that about her friend. His best ideas were the craziest ones, but in the end, they always worked. And for some reason, the man seemed to be some sort of Cupid that always predicted who the next couple was going to be.

Maybe it was because he spent so much time with Allegra. God only knew she was worse than him in that expertise.

"Are you in or out?"

"Excuse me?"

"In or out? Are you going to help me get those two together?"

Jackie smiled. "Of course I am."

  ⚕ 

Sophia watched as Avalyn rummaged through her wardrobe, looking over her clothes to see which would fit her best for tonight's occasion.

The Surgery Department had invited the Pediatric Department for a night out at San Jose's hottest club: The Hideout. It was apparently a lot better than it sounded. An underground club with a hotel above ground just in case somebody was drunk enough that they were unable to get home. Which was basically more than 70% of the clubbers. 

Sophia had first heard about the invitation from Neil himself but he had announced it publickly later on. The only ones not going were Shaun Murphy, who didn't like drinking all that mcuh, and Jackie, who didn't feel up to partying up all night.

Avalyn suddenly threw a crimson red dress in Sophia's face and she fell from the bed as she tried to catch it. She heard Ava muttering under her breath as she continued on with her mission.

They were in Avalyn's flat, getting ready for the night. Sophia had quickly bonded with her teammate and they had even had girls nights since they met, which Sophia loved for she never had sleepovers with true friends as a child.

Her mind was away, though, not paying any attention as Ava threw more and more dresses out of her own wardrobe. Sophia found herself thinking about Neil Melendez a lot, lately. He was always in her mind, and she looked forward to their sessions. She had become so dependent of him, that she visited him daily.

At first, she had been hesitant, worrying that he thought her annoying. But he never once did complain about her presence and seemed to enjoy it as much as she did.

The only downside was that he was engaged. Sophia would've felt bad about feeling like she did if Jessica Preston wouldn't have been such an utter bitch.

Everytime they passed each other in the hallways, she would always throw her dirty looks. Whenever she went to Neil's office for their sessions, Jessica would whine about it and demand him to go home with her, which he always refused. It seemed the woman had turned suddenly possessive of her fiancé ever since Sophia became his friend.

Neil had told her that he was getting sick of it. Against all her morals, Sophia felt satisfied seeing Jessica ruin her relationship with Neil all by herself.

"Okay, put on the dress. I'll get your makeup ready and then we can go."

"Sure."

It took them two full hours to get ready, and they were the most fun hours Sophia ever had in her life. Avalyn wanted to know how her love life was going. Despite feeling pleased she had a new friend, Sophia didn't trust her entirely and simply told her she wasn't looking for a relationshiop. 

That led to Avalyn revealing she was crushing on Dr. Kalu, one of the resident surgeons that was accompanying them to the club tonight. After being shown a picture, Sophia had to admit he was cute, but she rather preferred Neil.

They were the last to arrive, but their company's exasperation quickly turned into amazement at their outfits. Avalyn had decided to go all leather, with a black dress anknee-high lace boots. Sophia had opted for something simpler, a crimson dress with a modest cleavage and black Louboutins.

"You look beautiful."

She turned her head to see Neil smiling at her. Sophia blushed under his gaze and looked down, running her eyes down the length of his body. He was looking like sex-on-legs in a simple pair of black skinny jeans, formal shoes and a white shirt that was unbuttoned to his mid-chest, showing his deer tattoo.

"You look hot," she said unthinkingly. Once again, red colored her cheeks at the knowing smirk in his lips.

"I'm well aware."

They quickly found a booth and the boys went to get drinks. Sophia got to know Claire and instantly liked the fierce dark-skinned woman that striked her as someone she wouldn't want to be enemies with.

Sophia gracefully accepted the colorful cocktail that Neil gave her. She felt touched he remembered. In one of their many sessions, she had told him that she would only drink alcoholic drinks if they were colorful. She hated dull colors.

The night passed by with them taking turns saving the booth and getting drinks. At some point, they had all left the table and gone to the dance floor, where Avalyn had ended up grinding on Jared.

Sophia didn't especially like to dance but she couldn't refuse when Neil asked her to. With alcohol flowing through her veins, her inhibitions were on the down low. So she didn't even think it through when she and Neil danced more intimately than they should have.

His shirt had come off by the time they reached the bar.

"It's too hot in here," he shouted over the loud music.

"I know," she shouted back, giggling with joy as she bumped into a stranger.

Sophia turned to apologize but froze when she came face to face with the last person she would ever want to see. He mirrored her surprise but soon maliciousness filled his eyes as his hand shot to her, pulling her closer to his body.

"Baby, how are you?"

She struggled to get out of his grip, but he was too strong. As his hold on her arms tightened, a sudden noise of bone breaking echoed. Sophia snapped her head up, seeing Neil fuming beside her as her ex-boyfriend fell to the ground, holding his nose.

Tyler laughed as blood flowed through his nose.

"New boyfriend, baby?"

"Shut up," Neil growled at him, but Sophia held him back before he could punch Tyler again.

"Got yourself a violent one, did you, sweetheart?" Tyler laughed again as he stood. "Of course, I would already know of that."

"What do you mean?"

"I have been making sure you didn't go astray, sweet doll."

"What?!" Sophia recoiled in disgust. "You've been following me?"

"Why yes, I have."

His grin was quickly wiped off his face as Neil lunged at him again, tackling him to the ground. Chaos followed as they threw punches and kicks at each other in the middle of the dance floor. Sophia was pushed to the side as security guards barged in and separated them.

Claire, Avalyn and the rest of the boys joined her as Sophia saw the guy holding Neil back whisper something in his ear and letting him go. Neil threw her a reassuring smile and followed the guy further into the club.

"Was that Dr. Melendez?" Avalyn asked shocked as she watched him go.

  ⚕ 

Turns out, he had gone into the hotel. Sophia had made sure to find the security guard who detained him and got all the details so she could go speak with him. All the others had gone home already but she wanted to mkae sure that Neil was fine.

He was waiting for her in the lounge room.

"Are you okay?" she asked as she made her way over to him.

"Don't worry," he smiled reassuringly again, but it didn't change the fact that his lip was swollen and he had a huge black eye.

Sophia stared at him unconvincingly.

"So that was Tyler, eh?" Neil sat down on the couch. "The one from when you were nineteen."

"Yup. I never thought I'd see him again."

"Uglier than I expected," Neil attempted to lighten up the mood by making a joke.

Sophia smiled beautifully and sat down next to him. "Thank you for protecting me."

"Anytime," he said, looking into her eyes.

Sophia gulped as their heads inched closer. Would she really dare kiss him? No matter how strong her feelings for him were quickly developing to be, he was still a taken man by the end of the day.

He looked away suddenly, breaking the moment.

She watched as he put his haead in his hands and shook it vehemently.

"I can't do this. I can't do this to you, Sophia. I'm sorry," his voice broke as he turned to look at her.

Sophia said nothing, instead choosing to leave before something they would both regret could happen. She glanced at him and smiled, as in a way of saying everything was okay. It seemed to calm him, because his body relaxed at the forgiving look in her face.

She left without another word.


End file.
